Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy

Vice President

Chris Braunlich is a former member of the Fairfax County School Board, and vice president of the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy. The views expressed here are his own and do not necessary reflect the opinions of the Institute or its Board of Directors. He may be reached at c.Braunlich@att.net.

Written by Mr. Christian N. Braunlich

October 2015

Choice for Pre-K Students —
Today, there are more than 7,800 unfilled slots in the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) program offering early childhood learning services to at-risk children. They aren't filled because local governments can't match the funds or because they simply have no space. Chris Braunlich, vice president of the Thomas Jefferson Institute, offered a solution to the General Assembly's Virginia Preschool Initiative Joint Subcommittee: Use the Education Improvement Scholarship Tax Credit to provide parents choices about the preschool program their child attends! (10/8/2015) Read the Testimony Here!

January 2015

Jefferson Journal: School Choice Comes to Virginia —
In 2013, the Virginia Education Improvement Scholarship Tax Credit (EISTC) finally cleared all the hurdles to become the Commonwealth's best mechanism for creating new opportunities for educationally at-risk students. So, two years later, National School Choice Week (January 23-31) seems an ideal time to examine the effects of that law, the kind of students its helping and the benefits for donors looking to help children find a more appropriate educational placement. Read It Here!

July 2014

Jefferson Journal: After The OEI — By Chris Braunlich The recent state court ruling that the Opportunity Educational Institution (OEI) is a violation of the Virginia Constitution leaves thousands of Virginia schoolchildren consigned to schools with decades-long records of failure. It's a missed opportunity, but one that can and should be corrected next year. Here's one way. (7/17/2014) Read It Here!